Saturday, 24 December 2016

With recent releases like Dobara Phir Se and Lahore Se Aagey, it seems like road movies are all the rage in the Pakistani film industry. Thora Jee Le – which is slated to release on January 20 – is no different. However, according to director Rafay Rashdi, his film is more character-driven than the other two.

Thora Jee Le follows the story of seven friends who embark on a road trip across Pakistan to help a sick friend recuperate. “Thora Jee Le is a film for the youth. It will remind you of your college days and all the fun you had,” Rashdi told The Express Tribune. “What makes it different is that our characters stand out for several reasons. We have seven characters and each one has a different story, comes from a different background and has unique traits.”

The director revealed that the main cast includes a party boy and a massive cricket fan among others. “So, we have a variety of characters and the audience can relate with them,” he said. “Most of us are cricket fans, for example. Similarly, a lot of things in the film are taken from what happens around us.”

What makes Thora Jee Le’s interesting is that Rashdi, a first-time film-maker himself, has chosen to work with fresh faces in the film. Actors include Rizwan Ali Jaffri, Bilal Abbas and Fatima Shah Jillani. “It’s all about the youth. We want to attract the youth with our film and we want to make a point that young people can join this industry based on their talent.”

In an earlier interview, Rashdi stated that his inspiration for Thora Jee Le was Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar and how his films focus on friendship. The film-maker wants to bring that idea to Pakistani cinema. “Thora Jee Le is a film about friendship. We are putting importance on friendship and we want to promote it.”

However, the film is not all fun and games. Rashdi shared there is a flip side to the characters as well. “Several conflicts are developed with each individual character and the road trip offers many new conflicts for them.”

In Thora Jee Le, an open road is the backdrop where everything happens. Rashdi cited the film’s need to look cinematic as the reason. “We need to get out of the drawing room. Our audience thinks a film is a telefilm if we shoot it entirely in a room. They are not accustomed to serious Hollywood films shot in minimal locations and they want to be entertained,” he said.

Often, a film-maker’s penchant for picturesque locations and beautiful cinematography compromises on storytelling. According to Rashdi, this happens because the artists are still learning their craft. “We are in the revival stage right now so that’s bound to happen. But with time, it will get better,” he stated.

Talking about the recent crisis in Pakistani film industry, he said, “I’m not in the position to say anything as I am just entering the industry myself. But I don’t have any problems as to whether the cinema owners release Indian films or not, as long as they can survive financially,” Rashdi expressed. “I only hope our film releases on the scheduled date this time around, because we had previously planned for a December release.”The trailer for Thora Jee Le releases this Sunday.

Good news for Ainy Jafri fans! The model-cum-actor is finally making a comeback to the film industry, after a gap of two whole years. And what’s more, she’s doing it with none other than Osman Khalid Butt!

A short teaser for the duo’s upcoming rom-com Balu Mahi came out a little over a month ago and now, the complete trailer is here and it looks amazing.

The trailer starts with Balu (Butt) crashing the wedding of his lady love – at least, he thinks it’s her. Mistakenly, he ends up confessing his feelings to Mahi (Jafri), who is in ghoonghat. The bride-to-be then asks a baffled Balu to run away with her as she does not want to get married

Similarly, it shows some of the most beautiful locations across northern Pakistan, where Balu and Mahi can be seen dancing around.

Javed Sheikh also makes an appearance, as does supermodel Sadaf Kanwal, who is possibly Balu’s first love interest.

Balu and Mahi then come face to face with the bad guy, which is being played by none other than Shafqat Cheema.

Directed by veteran TV serial director Haissam Hussain, Balu Mahi is a travel film which attempts to portray Lahore and northern Pakistan on a larger-than-life canvas and celebrate romance in a unique manner. It has been produced by Sadia Jabbar, written by Saad Azhar and the music is composed by Sahir Ali Bagga.

Friday, 23 December 2016

Over the years, Pakistani movies have improved a great deal and now, many of our directors are making films that are at par with movies created abroad. If you loved what our cinema had to offer this year, then you will be ecstatic to know what's in store for next year.

2017 has a lot of entertaining star-studded movies lined up, and we are sure these films will receive international recognition. Here are the five most awaited films of 2017.

Balu Mahi

Balu Mahi, has managed to create so much hype with just one teaser. Why, you ask? Because the movie is a visual treat, with spectacular cinematography and art direction. Pakistanis went as far as comparing the movie with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films. Yes, that's how great the movie looks. The romantic-comedy set to release in February 2017, is directed by Haissam Hussain and produced by Sadia Jabbar. The movie features Osman Khalid Butt as Bilal "Balu", Ainy Jaffri as Mahi and Sadaf Kanwal as Sharmeen.

Chalay thay Saath

The teaser of the movie left us impressed not only because it was shot in the beautiful Hunza valley, but also because it stars the talented Syra Shehroz, Mansha Pasha and Zhalay Sarhadi. A romantic film, directed by Umer Adil, is one we are really looking forward to, because this movie might just be a shift from typical comic narratives that have come out lately.

Rangreza

Starring Gohar Rasheed, Bilal Ashraf and Urwa Hocane, the musical-romance is one of the most awaited movies of the year due to the popular star cast. Also, from all the statements given by the cast, it seems all the actors have been given some unique roles, hence we are more than eager to find out what the director has cooked up with Rangreza.

Rehbra

Rehbra too, has a great star cast including Ayesha Omar and Ahsan Khan. And the fact is, after Udaari, we all look forward to any project Ahsan is a part of. As shared by Ahsan, the movie that is set to release in 2017, will be a romantic-comedy with great music. The movie will also star Miss Pakistan USA, 2015, Sahrish Khan.

Punjab Nahin Jaongi

The film starring Mehwish Hayat, Humayun Saeed, Ahmed Ali Butt, and Urwa Hocane, has faced a few cast issues before the shooting started. However, the movie is now back on track and we are really looking forward to see Mehwish and Humayun together after Jawani Phir Nahin Ani. Scripted by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, Punjab Nahin Jaongi is a romantic cross-cultural film that will quite different to movies previously screened, but we are sure it would be a great entertainer.

Thursday, 22 December 2016

With all the hue and cry over the ban on Bollywood, whether it should be lifted or not, we knew it wouldn’t be long before a few of our proactive celebs joined the discussion and began sharing their views. One such star who is always ready speak his mind out is Hamza Ali Abbasi, hence, it was expected that he would be voicing his opinions over the issue soon.

However, the actor this time around did not turn to social media and instead took up the topic on his show on Bol TV. And we have to admit, the idea of holding the debate to discuss the issue was a smart move.

In this regard, Hamza called up Syed Noor, a Pakistani film director based in Lahore. Here’s what Syed Noor had to say:

“It doesn’t look good if we do what they do. It will simply mean that there is no difference between them and us,” stated Syed Noor. “Indian films were showcased here when cinemas were made, so it is their movies that revived or cinema. However, I don’t think we still need Indian movies as our own films can do better business."

When asked by Hamza, how it is expected for cinema owners to earn when Pakistani movies churned out every year are not enough to sustain cinema houses, Syed Noor responded:

“Put up Indian movies if you want. But the fact is not all Indian movies did good business except for those with the Khan’s of Bollywood,” he explained. “My question is why don’t you give Pakistani movies the peak time in cinemas? We are not scared of Indian films, we just feel our movies shouldn’t be given less importance.”

Furthermore, a debate was held on the show moderated by Hamza, which included an argument for the ban, and against the ban.

Hamza ended the dialogue with what seemed like a stance towards the ban being lifted. According to the Pyarey Afzal star, it is our own people who come to watch Indian movies, so it doesn’t make sense if a ban is implemented.

“Pakistani’s will rush to watch Dangal once it’s on the cinema screens,” stated Hamza. “We should work on improving our movies and win an audience for ourselves,” he concluded.

With actors and directors across the border, as well as home welcoming the decision of Pakistani exhibitors lifting the ban on Bollywood movies, it seems that there is one person in particular who is not at all happy with this latest development.

Syed Noor, a renowned film maker and Chairman of the Pakistan Film Producers Association, recently, criticised Pakistani exhibitors' decision to lift the ban on Bollywood films. Noor was one of the few people who kept the film industry alive in the 90s by continuing to produce and direct films under low budgets.

According to a leading daily, the well-known director was quite upset with the whole scenario and said,

"It’s a commercial move devoid of any patriotism. When the government has officially banned the Indian content why are the exhibitors not realising this fact. There is no uniform policy. I want to know who put a ban on the screening of Indian movies and who lifted it?”

Post-Uri attacks, tensions between the two countries resulted in the decision of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association putting a ban on Pakistani artists and technicians from working in India. In retaliation our exhibitors decided to stop screening Indian films, a decision that did not work in our favour. The cinema houses lost millions of rupees and employees were laid off as there was no revenue coming in. Even the local releases failed to attract large audiences.

The exhibitors had no choice but to lift the self-imposed ban after a gap of two months. The first Indian movie screening at the cinemas is Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Freaky Ali.

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

From the time we saw her playing the most notoriously loved character in Bashar Momin we knew this girl was going to make a mark in the entertainment industry. Born and raised in Canada, Ushna Shah graduated from York University, Toronto, with a major in English Literature and Professional Writing. She started her career as a radio jockey and moved to Pakistan to pursue her career in acting.Although she maybe only two films old, these movies have won her accolades for her performances and this fierce artist is here to stay. Surrounded by artists in her family, Ushna always knew where her career would be headed. “I grew up in a family of artists. My mother was an actor, my sister (Irsa Ghaza) is one and my brother is a director. So, I always knew this is the field I would go into” she told The Express Tribune. Her first break was a drama called Meray Khwaboon Ka Diya, which did fairly well. Since then she has been balancing work on both big and small screens. She recently appeared in the first Pakistani online film Oye Kuch Kar Guzar alongside Uzair Jaswal and Ali Safina. The movie was released on YouTube.

“We shot the entire film in about eight days. It was a tough shoot but well worth it. I loved the team and it was a wonderful experience” Ushna added. Ushna has a fierce loyalty to her instincts when it comes to choosing her roles, sometimes they do lead to unexpected outcomes but she doesn’t mind as long as there’s a lesson at the end of the day. “Teri Meri Love Story didn’t do as well as we hoped. It was disappointing to say the least. The creative team put their best effort in, but unfortunately the project wasn’t executed the way it should have been by the people I like to call ‘suits’ (yes that’s stolen from Billy Walsh),” she quipped.

“It was a wonderful learning experience nevertheless, my acting was appreciated and that’s all thanks to the director of the movie Jawad Bashir.” She is drawn to the challenge of choosing characters which are rewarding as an artist. “It has always been a steppingstone for me to step into this field. Films are perhaps more rewarding because they are more condensed so the story plays out faster,” she stated.

“However if the character is interesting, then a drama can be just as rewarding. I have not been challenged in a while and just recently took up a project with a lead character so looking forward to that.” Talking about the artists whose work inspires her most, Ushna said, “I recently worked with Nayyar Ejaz and I think he is brilliant. There was so much to learn from a senior like him.

There are people who up your game when you’re around them and he was one of them. I am a huge fan of female actors Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchet. Their choice of work and performances inspire me tremendously. I also love Al Pacino and Daniel Day Lewis and yes I am a huge Aamir Khan fan”.Despite the limelight, Ushna stays close to family and a small circle of friends. “When I am not rehearsing the script or busy shooting, my idea of unwinding is just like any of you; I love catching up with my close group of friends or veg out with my mom and my dogs.” Ushna was awarded Best Soap Actress at the third Hum Awards for the play, Hum Theray Gunegaar, and received Best Emerging New Talent Female at fourth Pakistan Media Awards.

Saturday, 17 December 2016

Sitting in the audience, waiting for Sahir Lodhi to take the stage is a rather alluring experience because you know you can expect the man to do anything. Knowing of him through his morning show persona, you know he is capable of delivering a paisa wasool performance. And that is what Lodhi did. The actor who himself claims “main toh kuch bhi karsakta hoon (I can do anything),” kept the audience entertained at his movie Raasta’s launch event held on Wednesday.

Starting his career as the morning show host for TVOne, Lodhi set a standard to create a connection and bridge gap between the television screens of the regular viewers. Lodhi’s relatable face and common man attitude pulled audiences towards a lesser known genre of morning shows. In his 11 year long journey in the industry, Lodhi has acknowledged the love-hate relationship he has built over the years. Whether it is his loud personality or the much-talked about status of a ‘bad Shah Rukh mimic’, Lodhi has heard it all and doesn’t shy away from criticism.

Talking about the struggles the team went through to produce a film they hope will resonate with the audiences, Lodhi mentioned that there will just be one disappointment in store for the moviegoers; there is no Shah Rukh Khan. "If you come to watch the movie to find Shah Rukh then I am sorry this movie isn't for you,” said the 48-year-old. “But if you want to watch me, Abeer Rizvi, Aijaz Aslam, Naveed Raza and Mathira, then you won’t be disappointed,” he said, adding that Raasta is all-things Pakistan. Taking a dig at all the SRK comments hurled his way, Lodhi further said that he once asked his dad who was his real son. “Am I your son or Shah Rukh Khan? He said no beta you are,” he mentioned, leaving the audience in giggles.

Lodhi didn’t even hesitate from addressing the questions raised by media on the absence of Shamoon Abbasi, who plays the antagonist, at the launch. There are rumours that Abbasi is upset with some of his scenes being deleted from the film. “I invite you to go through the script. There was only one scene that was deleted that only makes Shamoon’s character better. We all had some scenes deleted from the film because of time constraints. I’m sure if he’s upset, it’s just a minor thing that will be sorted soon. There’s nothing huge,” said Lodhi.

But what was rather surprising to hear was Lodhi’s confession on making the movie. The road he travelled for Raasta, in fact, was never to make the movie at the first place but conquer the dream of constructing a hospital at a remote village in the outskirts of Karachi. Lodhi mentioned that the profits he will earn for the movie will go in the construction of the hospital that will treat the less fortunate with the same facilities available for the urban elites but with no price attached.

Some may call him melodramatic or over-rated but one thing is clear that Lodhi sure knows how to pull audiences and as they say no publicity is bad publicity. February 24th can only unveil what is in store for Lodhi’s acting career and the hospital that he envisions to build on his mother’s name, which is why the actors pressed on the fact "we need your money, not your blessings."

The power of social media can turn a common man into an overnight celebrity. The most recent example is our very own blue-eyed Chai Wala who has all of a sudden become the latest sensation.Currently, it won't even be wrong if we say Arshad Khan is the new Khan stealing the spotlight from superstars such as Fawad and SRK. From signing his first modelling contract to walking the ramp at BCW and featuring in a music video to making a movie debut, our Chai Wala is everywhere.

Life is hilarious; one day you are brewing tea for a living, and the next day you are drowning under the paparazzi.

Arshad Khan recently revealed the news of his debut movie titled 'Kabeer' on his official Instagram page.

The new age Pakistani cinema is nothing like we had seen before. It’s musical, it’s soulful and it’s very HIP. Following the trend and hoping to set standards, model-turned-actor Amna Ilyas will be seen dancing along Danish Taimoor in Yasir Nawaz’s upcoming romantic-comedy film Mehrunisa We Lub You.

Talking to HIP, Amna says the song titled Marhabba is not an item number. “It’s a duet. Danish and I share equal parts in the song and there is a lot of dancing,” she mentions, adding that it took them three consecutive nights to shoot the song. “It was very tiring and we had around 200 background dancers on the sets.”

Choreographed by Nigah, Amna says Marhabba is a desi romantic song with lyrics reminiscent to that of 90s Bollywood movie Beta’s hit number Dhak dhak. “The song is very upbeat and will set standards, making it difficult for other girls to follow,” concludes Amna.

We can’t wait for the song to be out and see the gorgeous Amna Ilyas grooving to the beats.

Friday, 16 December 2016

The films of Jami are ones that are unforgettable not only due to the amazing cinematography, but also because of the priceless narratives he always chooses to pick. Among the many successful works of Jami are Moor and O21. Since these movies gained so much appreciation from the audiences and critics, it is not a surprise that Jami's movies are highly anticipated.Here's the good news! Jami recently announced his new venture which is said to be based on the 1992 world cup and how it reignited our passions. And we are truly looking forward to Jami’s next work of art, which has gone into production as per social media sources.Earlier this year, we heard Jami was working on a movie titled ‘Downward Dog’. However, the movie somehow disappeared from the scene after being titled.

In a country where the youth is constantly neglected, we rarely see children running to the cinemas with their parents. What’s an even rarer sight is celebrities out for an evening with their families and that is exactly what happened at the premiere for 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam on Wednesday in Karachi.

The sequel to Pakistan’s first ever 3D animated film boasts an impressive list of stars who lent their voices to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s gloriously animated world of heroes and villains. Therefore, all the stars made sure to attend the premiere with their children or young relatives. While Chinoy’s daughters also graced the red carpet, Fahad Mustafa attended with his wife and children as well. Ali Gul Pir entered hand in hand with his 7 year old nephew while Khalid Malik could be seen juggling both his children in his arms.

Stars who weren’t featured in the film also made sure that their children didn’t miss the film. Leading actors of the Pakistani entertainment industry, Aamina Sheikh and Ahsan Khan attended the premiere with their respective children while designer Adnan Pardesy also brought his nephew.

And all these children could be heard breaking into fits of laughter, watching the animated characters come to life. Surprisingly, the film started playing at the designated time without elaborate delays, an anomaly for Pakistani film premieres, and perhaps that made the entire experience even more pleasant.

The Revenge of Baba Balaam is a continuation of the lives of three children, Saadi, Amna and Kamil, who have been endowed with superpowers, which they used in the first film, to get rid of evil forces threatening their town, Roshan Nagar. All is well in their neighbourhood until a conflict tears the three friends apart. Eventually, their conflict is further aggravated by enemy forces which puts the whole town, including the children’s parents, at risk.

While Fahad Mustafa and Sarwat Gillani did justice to their limited roles, where Mustafa was Amna’s father and Gillani was Saadi’s mother, it was the voices of the cronies that really resonated with the audience. Fahim Khan, playing the character of the evil and menacing Baba Balaam, was extremely convincing. Khalid Malik and Ali Gul Pir both have experience with comedy and that was evident with the way children lit up when their characters came on screen. Behroze Subzwari was relatable as Deenu Chacha, with his elderly grace and wisdom, and Ahmed Ali Butt was effective as the lazy but honest policeman.

However, credit must be given to the three lead child stars of the film: Zuhab Khan as Saadi, Muneeba Yaseen as Amna and Hanzala Shahid as Kamil. They made sure that the characters became living breathing individuals instead of being animated figures, which is quite a challenging task for adults let alone for children, but they tackled this obstacle flawlessly.

Perhaps the one thing that continues to go wrong in our films is product placement by sponsors, and while the other two main sponsors, McDonald’s and Bank Alfalah, were handled somewhat subtly, it was the constant in-your-face imagery of Olper’s that really did become quite jarring for the viewer. It’s about time brands stop underestimating the intelligence of the cinema-goer. You don’t have to show your product numerous times in such blatant fashion for people to notice your brand. It seems as though McDonald’s has been listening to criticism carefully and has started to integrate their product in a more natural way.

All in all, The Revenge of Baba Balaam is an engaging family film that has something for everyone.

The city has lost yet another place of entertainment — Nishat Cinema — now a theatre hall, as it has been sold and the new owner has started demolishing the decades old building reportedly to erect a plaza there.

The cinema established decades ago had been screening Punjabi, Urdu and English movies and was later converted into theatre hall, showing stage dramas.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, in 2003-04, Faisalabad division — Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh and Jhang — had 28 cinemas; 18 in Faisalabad, five each in Toba Tek Singh and Jhang. The number was sadly reduced to seven in 2011-12. Earlier, a number of cinemas, including Shehzad, Metropole, Tariq, Nadir, Novelty, Shabnum, Odeon, Javeed, Reo, Regal, Naaz, Bambino, ABC, Sangeet, Shadman etc had been demolished.

The land of these cinemas was later used either to establish residential colonies or commercial plazas. Currently, Faisalabad has about seven modern multiplex cinemas.

Qavi Khan, a renowned film, television and stage actor, commenting on decay of the local entertainment industry told Dawn that many of those who were doing cinema and theatre business should simply do something else as they didn’t belong to the industry.

He said due to such elements, most of the productions were without any message for youth. He held the entertainment industry as well as the government responsible for the decay, saying the local industry failed to adapt to the changing scenario of the business.

Former manager of Nishat Cinema, Mr Humayon said the new owner would go for construction of a commercial plaza that might also have a theatre hall on one of its floors.

The new owner had started demolishing the cinema building to build a plaza there because the land was located on Narawala Road, a major thoroughfare connecting various residential colonies to the eight bazaars of Clock Tower.

A food vendor, Aslam, who was sitting on a bench outside the locked gate of the cinema, said, “ I’m 48 and my elders told me that the cinema was here even before the inception of Pakistan.”

Aslam was of the view that plaza to be built on cinema land would give financial boost to his business.

Ali Jaan, a local stage actor, lamenting the demise of the theatre hall said it was feeding many small time actors, actresses, technicians and their families. He said the elimination of yet another place of entertainment would add to the problems of artists

Yasir Nawaz has a new production in the works and it's a comedy titled Mehrunisa V Lub You.

Speaking to Images Yasir said, "The film is a comedy, a rom-com basically, but it also has a small message which we've told through the comedy as the overall tone of the film is very light and fun."

However, when asked about the plot of the film, he simply said, "If I tell the story, even a one liner, then all the suspense and fun would be ruined. So I'd rather avoid that for now."

Getting into the details of the film's music, he said the project will include a song called 'Badalna Hai' penned by Indian poet Sampooran Singh Kalra popularly known as Gulzar, sung by Indian playback singer Sukhwinder Singh.

"Gulzar has written one song for us so far, and Sukhwinder has sung it. We're in talks with him to do another song. Maybe we'll have two songs by him, but we don't have the second singer finalised for the track. He has sent us the song with make-shift vocalists so that we can continue shooting but for now no one has been selected," he added, saying that the final vocalist(s) will be revealed in a couple of weeks' time.

All the songs have been composed by Seemab Hussain, and apart from Sukhwinder, no singers have been finalized as of now.

There's more!

"We have a 'celebration song' in the film in which we'll have a guest appearance by Amna Ilyas," said the director.

Along with donning the director's cap, Yasir will also be producing the film with Hassan Zia and Nida Yasir. The writer is Saqib Sameer and the cast includes Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Sana Javed, Saqib Sameer among others.

The shoot has started and is currently taking place in Karachi. Some scenes will be shot in the northern areas as well.

Balu Mahi is fast making its way to our must-watch list and Sadaf Kanwal's recent disclosure is a big part of it.

In conversation with Images, when asked about her part in the upcoming film, the model said: "My role is of a fun woman who is the head of a company. She's glamorous but also blunt, for example. she'll be dressed to the nines and end up making a gaffe."

She added that her character, Sharmeen, is an authoritative businesswoman who's also 'mazaydar'.

Delving into further details of her role, Sadaf said, "She likes this man and travels with him throughout the journey [in the film]. The two share a romantic relationship and soon fall in love and my character tries to spend as much time with him as possible as the man she loves is very unpredictable and confused."

The Lux Style Award winner shared that she had a lot of memorable moments during the shoot of the film, one of them being when she shot her first scene with director Haissam Hussain.

"It was my first day at the shoot in Hunza and it was the first time I was facing Haissam and the camera, the entire team was standing in front of me, " she started.

"Haissam says to me, 'It's time for your shot, the first scene,' so I said, 'okay.' I got ready and went [to the set]. I was tensed because; it's Haissam, he's such a big director and, whether I'll remember my dialogues or not. I didn't know what'd happen because Ainy [Jaffri] is very good and she had been working [on the Balu Mahi shoot] for the past few days and this was my first experience. But when I did my scene Haissam paused and then everyone clapped," Sadaf recalled.

They were impressed by the first-timer and said she did a "really good job."

In an earlier interview the model had expressed her excitement at being a part of the project. "Many models gave the audition but I was the luckiest to be roped in. Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri and I play lead roles in the movie. I'm quite comfortable acting in this film and I'm not nervous. I've previously done a drama serial but it's yet to go on air," she said.

Balu Mahi features Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri, Sadaf Kanwal and a cameo appearance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. It is set for release on February 10, 2017.

Saturday, 10 December 2016

Regional languages such as Brahvi, Balochi and Pashto have historically been overlooked in the Pakistani entertainment industry, ever since its inception. Be it in the form of music, films or TV shows, these particular brands of content have rarely ever been given priority. Veteran Lollywood director Syed Noor is planning to change that.

Noor has singlehandedly shouldered the responsibility of Pakistani cinema for years now. The film-maker has given many newcomers their big breaks and experimented with a variety of projects. Now, he is ready to break away from the Punjabi and Urdu content he has been making for the past 10 years and wants to shoot a film in Balochistan for the Baloch people.

Noor recently expressed his desire to make a film based on and in the province. He was speaking at a session at FocusPk16 on Sunday, about finding solutions to existing problems plaguing regional content in the industry. The panelists included veteran actor Seemi Raheel,Abdullahstar Hameed Shaikh, Pashto cinema actor Ajab Gul and Noor himself. “I believe we should make more content in regional languages. Every person in the industry should take this responsibility and promote their respective language and culture. They shouldn’t stop,” added the director.

Noor went on to say that cinema should give more weightage to regional content. “In India, the cinema owners are asked to give weightage to regional content otherwise they won’t be given license to screen films,” he said. Hameed echoed his sentiments, highlighted how Balochi, as a language, has not been given its fair share of representation in the industry. “Balochistan has been left behind in every field, including the entertainment sector. I believe its regional content should be promoted in order to keep the culture alive,” he claimed. “Films made in regional languages should be translated into Urdu and shown in mainstream cinemas, if the content is strong.”

Gul also spoke on the matter, adding that the Pathans wish to see their culture but not enough content is being created in their language. “Pathans want to listen to songs in their language and view their culture on-screen but there are no theatres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. People in Peshawar have to travel to Islamabad to watch movies,” he revealed.

Pathans, said Gul, are very fond of arts and entertainment. “Despite all the security threats, people in Peshawar haven’t given up on art,” he said. According to him, the ban on Indian films is a great opportunity to revive local cinema. “It is the ideal time to revive our regional film industry and make local films focusing on our regional content to fill the void created by the ban,” Gul explained.

Seemi shared it is unfortunate that kids in our part of the world haven’t been exposed to regional content. “My kids have never seen regional music instruments being played on TV — and they are thirty plus!” she said. The actor believes Pakistanis have hidden their culture because they are subconsciously embarrassed of it and continuing on the same path will eventually, culminate in an identity crisis. “We are giving away our most exotic cultural values! We are trying to compete with the Western world but we will definitely fail.”

The trailer of Sahir Lodhi’s debut filmRaasta is out and it has left us speechless.

Raasta features Sahir and Abeer Rizvi in titular roles. The movie has been produced by Sahir, Moidul Hasan and Faisal Zia. The film appears to be an action-thriller with a tinge of romance. However, its trailer is guaranteed to leave one in peals of laughter.

With Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’sDil Fakeerplaying in the background, Abeer and Sahir romance each other in what comes across as a rather dismal re-enactment of SRK-Kajol’s Sooraj Hua Madhamsong.

As the trailer unfolds, Sahir is presented in a villainous avatar during an intense action scene heavily reminiscent of several Shah Rukh Khan ones.

The one-minute trailer also showcases the ‘chemistry’ between the two leading actors, leaving one in splits.